ALLEGED ANAPHYLACTIC REACTIONS TO HUMAN GAMMA-GLOBULIN

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Abstract
In the case of reactions following the injection of therapeutic agents, the possibility must be considered that the reaction may have occurred as a result of the contamination of the medication by some extraneous allergenic material. It is highly advisable that the manufacturers of biological products for injection avoid the possibility of contamination of these products by silk, penicillin and possibly other substances that may act as powerful sensitizers and allergens. All individuals sensitive to penicillin should receive injections from syringes not previously used for the injection of penicillin. It would be even better to set aside syringes and needles to be used only for the injection of penicillin and to be sterilized separately; if the sterilizing is done by boiling, a separate sterilizer should be used for that purpose only. If a patient dies suddenly following an injection, and the cause of death appears to be allergic shock, or if it is not obvious, blood should be drawn (most easily done by cardiac puncture) as soon as possible and the serum preserved under refrigeration for possible future passive transfer and other tests, as recommended by Lund and Hunt. There is no incontrovertible evidence that acute anaphylactic reactions have occurred in man due to the injection of human gamma-globulin per se. The possibility that this may occur, however, cannot be completely excluded. It is of the utmost importance if such reactions are suspected that every effort be made to discover the responsible allergen.

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